Candles in the Wind
by Harvzy
Summary: Kirisuna AU. The year is 2024, and East Asia (including Japan) has plunged into an apocalypse of the undead. When a young teenage boy and the daughter of a CEO are joined together by the perilous circumstances, they will realize that there is more to this calamity than survival. Rated T for violence and language. Will contain fluff and angst.
1. The Lonely Dark

**A/N: I'm back! After a few months of hiatus, I give you a brand new Kirisuna story. This will be much more dramatic and dark than some of my other stories, and will take place in an AU where SAO/VRMMO's never existed. I am going to try to make my chapters longer and more eventful as well. Angst/fluff warning, enjoy!**

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 _Chapter 1: The Lonely Dark_

 _Splat._

 _Squish._

 _Thump._

It was a monotonous routine. One that I never got used to nor favored, but at the end of the day, still a routine.

The undead bodies collapsed to the ground, surrounded by shallow pools of crimson blood. Even though their eyes never had a light to emit, it still seemed as though a flame had been blown out like a candle. I yanked the heavy bodies out of the barbed wire fence and dragged them to the side, piling them to reinforce the walls outside of my abandoned home. Well, I wouldn't call it much of a home. It was more of a shelter from this God forsaken hell.

After discarding the bodies from the fences, I re-bolted the door with wooden planks and nails, then turned around to inspect my shelter. I'd only been camping out here for just over a day, so I hadn't taken much time to check the house's condition and the supplies it could have inside. Most of yesterday was spent fixing up the barbed fence I'd found surrounding the house to make sure I was safe throughout the night.

My shelter was smaller than what I was used to, but it was better than sleeping crammed in a broken down car like I'd done the other night. It was a dark brown ranch, almost like one you would see on a farm. I could see spots on the walls where the wood had begun to rot. It must have been tough for the owners of this place to stay warm during the winter season. I shook the thought out of my head and walked inside, praying that the people before me had left behind some valuable resources that I could use for myself.

The interior seemed somewhat cozier than my last shelter. There was a small sofa and kotatsu in the living room and a worn down fireplace. I thought about fixing it up for a little extra warmth. Fall would be approaching soon, after all. Nonetheless, I couldn't find any valuable supplies in the living room.

I checked the kitchen afterwards. There were some rotting fruits on the table, a couple of leftover pots and pans, and a ransacked pantry. It was more than what I'd usually find in abandoned homes, but still fairly useless. I checked one of the travel-sized pots for mold, then placed it in my torn up backpack. I missed the opportunity in my life to learn how to cook, and I didn't have anyone to teach me. The best I could do was boil pasta, but that was a luxury nowadays. But the pot was light, so I shoved it into the bottom of by bag. Maybe I'd need it one day.

After exploring the two bedrooms in the house, I could only find some pistol bullets and a pocketknife. What I really needed was a steady supply of food. It seemed that this family had escaped with most of the canned goods, leaving me with the rotten fruit. Bastards.

I emptied out my bag to take inventory. I had one and a half cans of spam, and one can of baked beans. Those would probably be good for a few days at the most, so I knew that I needed to restock soon. However, after searching several neighborhoods a few days ago, this was all I could find. I would probably have to leave this town soon if I wanted to restock for a full week. Maybe Setagaya would have a more bountiful supply, since that's where all the rich people lived. But for now, this house would be my shelter.

Over the past 39 days, I've learned to stop becoming attached to things. The day I was forced to leave my first home to search for more supplies was heartbreaking. I'd lived there for 16 years. My room and my computer were all I'd ever known. I never really had anyone to call a friend, so I didn't leave the house that often. I only started exercising more once this hell began. I wasn't stupid, nor oblivious. This was a zombie apocalypse, whether I was willing to accept that or not. Still, after all those video games I'd played with zombies and mutant monsters, nothing could have prepared me for this catastrophe. At least I had gotten a vague idea of human nature in this kind of situation. No matter how nice or generous someone may have seemed before, their inner selfishness and greed always comes out in one way or another at some point. It just takes the right scenario to set off their survival instincts and save only themselves.

Luckily, I didn't have to worry about cooperating with people for the time being. Going solo in this world had its advantages.

Shaking my distracting thoughts away, I spent the next hour or so fixing up the fireplace in the living room. It was tedious and somewhat frustrating, but I eventually finished up. It wasn't completely spick and span, but it would have to do for the next day or two. I left the house to go around the back and find more firewood.

I looked up to see a blanket of orange and purple colors stretched across the endless sky. The sun was going to set soon, and it would get colder and colder as the evening progressed. I found a small pile of log remnants, gathered up some loose branches, and headed back inside.

The fire crackled for only a short amount of time that night. Eventually, the burning flames died down and sank into the black coals, drained of their energy. There I lay on the sofa in the darkness, with only the slivers of moonlight that escaped through the windows barred with planks. The occasional hoot of an owl was the only sound that filled the emptiness of the room. It was relieving to not hear the groans and hisses of those undead demons. Plus, I didn't have to hear the loud snoring of my aunt and cousin anymore.

But in that moment, nothing would have pleased me more than to hear another human being shift underneath the blankets beside me.

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 **A/N: Thanks for reading! As you can tell, this is going to be a much darker fanfic than my other stories, but I personally like this new change in writing style. I will try my best to release these weekly, but it may be difficult to stick to a consistent schedule with school and all. Anyways, please rate and review, and I'll see you next time.**

 **-Harv**


	2. Stranger from the Night

**A/N: Thanks for sticking around, especially to those who have followed/favorite/reviewed. Enjoy chapter 2!**

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 _Chapter 2: Stranger from the Night_

About a month ago, I'd realized the advantages of traveling alone. Maybe it was just my mind trying to distract myself from the grief, but it really wasn't a terrible way of living. I never had to worry about sharing food, weapons, or medical supplies. All of them were mine. It might sound heartless, but I assumed that the only reason I was still alive was because I didn't have anyone else to drag me down. Perhaps, it was better this way.

Yet still, there was a feeling of emptiness that I couldn't quite describe. As the days went on, I noticed that it only got worse. It felt like there was a miniature creature in my heart, carving out the inside until all that remained was a hollow shell. But even if I _wanted_ to make a friend in this world, it's not like I had a say in who was willing to accept me.

I'd learned my lesson over the past 16 years. People were always cruel, and only cared about their own amusement. Never about the victim. Especially those bullies I endured for 9 years of my life. From time to time, I found myself wondering if any of my classmates were still alive. How many had made it on the evacuation planes to the Western Hemisphere? Would this epidemic spread to the Western Hemisphere eventually? It's not like there was any type of vaccination yet.

As I continued to walk through the woods, I heard a familiar noise in the distance. Multiple trickles of water became louder the further I walked. Trudging through the branches and bushes, I eventually made my way to the water source. It was a shallow but wide river that stretched a considerable distance down the path. It seemed there was no way around, otherwise I would have to walk for the rest of the day. Shrugging, I rolled up my pants to my knees and removed my socks and shoes so I was barefoot. There appeared to be smooth rocks jutting to the surface that I could hop across, but some of them were far apart. But I didn't feel like wading through the current in the cold water, so it would have to do. I hopped to the first of several rocks, eventually climbing my way to the third.

Then, I heard yet another familiar noise. Low groans came from the area where I'd just come from, and shivers ran down my back. How could those things have found me all the way out here?

Slowly, the undead creatures made their way through the bushes, dragging their feet across the gravel with a eerie scraping noise. At first, only a couple of them emerged, but more kept appearing from behind the branches. I scrambled to my feet and picked up the pace. Although the zombies couldn't swim, this river seemed to be shallow enough to walk across. And the undead didn't care about how cold it was.

The one in front raised its battered head and stared at me with a low growl. Then it let out what seemed to be a distressed call, alarming the others around it. No later, they began to run towards me even faster.

Quickly, I tightened the straps on my backpack to assure it wouldn't fall off, and leaped over the rocks as fast as I could manage. I could hear most of the zombies slowly pushing their way through the current, while a few hopped onto the rocks not far behind me. I had to move faster.

As I approached the last set of rocks, I found that one was much more slippery than the others before it. Unfortunately, I found this out the hard way. The second I put my body weight on that foot, I felt my leg slip out from underneath, causing me to slam the side of my head onto the rock I'd just been standing on. My vision blurred immediately and the world began to spin. I tilted my head back to see that the zombies hadn't slowed down. Eventually, I managed to drag myself across the rest of the rocks, then limped as far as I could to find the main road.

Looking behind me, it seemed that I'd outran those monsters, but I was still in a bad situation. I heaved myself to lie down on a bench on the sidewalk and examined my wounds. I pressed my fingertips to my head and flinched in pain. I could feel a gash that stretched across the right part of my forehead. Sitting up to check my leg, I noticed that there was another deep gash along my ankle, probably from scraping against the sharp rocks below. There was a bruise on my foot as well, but that was the least of my worries.

I pulled some bandage cloth out of my bag and taped it tightly around my ankle. Then, I used a pair of scissors to cut off part of my sleeve and tie it around my head. It wouldn't heal the wound, but at least I'd be able to stop the bleeding.

After regaining my breath and addressing my injuries, I turned around to observe my surroundings. Large homes with heavily protected gates could be seen all the way down the roads, some as big as mansions. I'd reached Setagaya. There were bound to be leftover valuable supplies here. And since most of the wealthy families were able to afford tickets for the evacuation planes, this neighborhood was more than likely deserted. Although, breaking in through the electronic locks and gates would be somewhat of a challenge.

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After a few hours of exploring the houses, I'd realized how much of a challenge breaking in really was. There were no windows low to the ground, so I couldn't smash the windows and climb inside. Also, most of the doors were bolted shut and made of metal, so I couldn't kick my way through the doors or use my hatchet to break it down. As sundown approached, and I had searched a majority of the neighborhood, I eventually gave up on breaking in.

I slumped down on one of the gates outside the mansion, worn out and exhausted. As I leaned my body weight back onto the metal gate door, I was alarmed to find that there was no resistance. The door swung open with ease, and I fell backwards onto the walkway like an idiot. Wait, this huge mansion was just left unlocked and unsecured?

Eagerly but with stealth, I pushed the gate open the rest of the way and walked down the stone pathway to the door. All of the lights in the house were turned off, and the front door was unbolted. Smiling to myself, I steadily slid the door open manually and stepped inside. The floorboards creaked underneath my feet, but it seemed there was no one else to hear it. I walked through the vast home and found the kitchen. To my delight, I found a more bountiful supply of food than before, although most of it was cooking ingredients. I stuffed the other canned goods and wrapped snacks into my backpack. These could last me for at least another week.

I made my way upstairs and explored the several bedrooms. The master bedroom contained a small pack of shotgun shells, but I only carried a weak pistol. I threw the package in my bag anyways, since it wasn't much of a burden to carry. I was also able to find some old sweatshirts and blankets in the back of the closet. The couple of guest bedrooms didn't contain much except for some leftover snacks in the drawers.

Finally, I reached the last bedroom, which had a polished white door with a few flower stickers on the outside. I pushed the door open and observed the empty room. It seemed rather cozy, and there was balcony door on the other side of the room. Feeling like getting some fresh air I walked towards it.

However, after I took a few steps, I was abruptly grabbed by the arm and violently shoved to the ground from behind.

"Who the hell are you, and why are you in my house!?" A sharp, feminine voice boomed into my ear.

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 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Rates and reviews are much appreciated, and I'll see you next week. -Harv**


	3. Our Longest Journey

**A/N: Welcome back, and thanks for the support on this story. I really appreciate it. Enjoy!**

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 _Chapter 3: Our Longest Journey_

"Who are you, and what the hell are you doing in my house!?"

I was in a bad, bad situation. This girl had my arm pinned behind my back painfully. If she pushed it any further in a certain direction, I was sure my shooting arm would break. And I'm sure she was fully aware of that.

"Answer me!" She boomed right into my ear again. I could feel a cold piece of metal brushed up against my neck. It felt like a freshly sharpened kitchen knife. If I were to move a muscle, she would either break my arm or slice my neck. If I didn't move and answered her, there was still a chance of her doing the same thing. I had to play this smart.

"I'm... I thought this house was empty. I was just checking to see if there were any leftover supplies." I mumbled quietly, careful not to speak in a threatening tone.

"Are there more people coming here? Did those things follow you?" She tightened her vice grip. I never thought that a girl could be so strong... or intimidating.

"No, I'm alone. C-Could you please let go of me?" I choked out, hoping not to make her even angrier. I heard her let out a quiet sigh, then she slowly released the grip on my forearm. The metal blade in front of my neck was pulled away, and I felt my heart slowing down. I remained on the floor, with my forehead pressed to the ground, and I felt her pat me down for weapons. She pulled the pistol and pocketknife out of my belt and removed my backpack, throwing everything to one corner of the room. Then, she quickly backed away from me and stood in front of my supplies, holding her knife out shakily.

"Keep your hands up." She whispered quietly, pointing the blade in my direction. I stood up ever so slowly to face her, keeping my arms raised. "Wh-Who are you?" She asked. I would have answered her, if it weren't for the fact that this was my first time actually seeing her face.

She was thin and frail; I could see her collarbone quite easily. She had long, chestnut hair that fell down her back gracefully. She was wearing a light pink t-shirt with a white sweatshirt over it. Her grey sweatpants were just below knee-length. It was clear that she hadn't been outside since this apocalypse began. But judging by her self defense skills, I could tell that at least a few people had tried to threaten her in the last month.

"Answer me!" She shouted, thrusting the blade out further towards me.

"M-My name is Kazuto Kirigaya. I'm from Kawagoe, just outside of Tokyo." I spoke out clearly. Of course, I had no intention of hurting this girl, but I knew she was skeptical nonetheless. I was still a stranger, after all. "I'm not here to hurt you. I honestly thought the house was abandoned."

I hadn't noticed it at first, but she was shaking slightly. Her shoulders quivered, causing the tip of the knife to waver. Her knees were wobbling as well. However, it seemed that my words had eased her nerves a bit.

"What happened to your head? And why are you limping?" I was a bit surprised at the concern in her voice. She looked at my bandages with curiosity, and lowered the knife a short amount.

"Um... I tripped trying to escape some of those things in the woods. I hit my head on the rocks." I pointed to the torn cloth wrapped around my head without lowering my hands. She lowered her kitchen knife all the way, still keeping a solid grip on it.

"I have a couple of extra first aid kits in the bathroom." She walked towards me, keeping a few feet between us. "If I give one to you, will you return my food and leave?"

It wasn't a bad offer. Yeah, I wouldn't have a lot of food left, but at least I'd be able to fix myself up. Besides, it's not like I had much of a choice. "Alright," I said, pointing to my backpack. "I put everything I took in there. You can take your food out and give me the first aid kit. Then you'll never see me again."

"...Okay." She nodded in cooperation, then opened my bag to remove her food. "Hey." She looked up at me.

"Y-Yeah?" I met her amber colored eyes filled with wonder.

"Did you get all this stuff all by yourself? Is it that easy to find out there?" She questioned abruptly. I guessed that she was debating leaving her house and venturing out for more supplies.

"Well, most of it, yeah. As long as the houses aren't boarded shut, you can go inside and take whatever the owners left behind." I muttered, watching her empty out my backpack of everything and placing her food in a separate pile. She stared at me in confusion, then put the backpack down.

"But isn't that stealing?" She questioned. I stared back at her quietly. This girl definitely hadn't left her house yet.

"Look, girly. It may be stealing for you people, but for us who never had a lot in the first place, it's just survival. The sooner you get that through your head, the better you'll do out there." I pointed to the window behind her. She turned around slowly to look outside. Their seemed to be a forlorn expression on her face.

"Yeah... You're right. I guess I've just been having a hard time accepting that." She turned back towards me with a saddened smile. The way her eyes reflected the orange sunlight sent a strange warmth throughout my chest. I'd almost forgotten that she'd threaten to break my arm moments ago. "Well, follow me to the bathroom. I'll give you the first aid kit, then you can be on your way." She held out my backpack for me to take. I slung it over my shoulder and headed downstairs with her.

"Here." She said, handing me the small white box. "There's some fresh bandages, pain killers, and a syringe for bleeding in here. If you want, I can-"

I quickly pulled her against the wall, covering her mouth with my hand. The first aid kit fell to the ground with a quiet thud. She squirmed and tried to escape my grasp, but I held her tightly in my arms.

"Be quiet. Do you hear that?" I whispered in her ear. She stopped moving and focused her hearing.

"W-What is that noise?" She quivered, no longer struggling to escape.

"Infected zombies. They're right outside that door." I pointed to the sliding door down the long hallway, where I had originally broken in. I felt her shaking increase, and her eyes grew wide with fear. "Don't worry. We can climb onto the roof from your window, jump down, then escape from the back of the house."

"C-Can't you just kill them or something? I saw the gun you had on you!" She shouted, but I quickly covered her mouth again.

"You need to be quiet. Those things are more sensitive to sound than anything. I can't shoot them because we don't know how many are outside, and the loud noise could cause a whole horde of them to come through that door."

Before she could argue, I quickly picked up the first aid kit and grabbed her hand, pulling her back upstairs to her bedroom. I shut the door and yanked open the window, then climbed outside onto the flat roof. The drop down was a little far, but it wouldn't be enough to injure either of us.

"Come on, we have to get going. Grab a backpack and a some sneakers, then we can get out this way." I ordered to the teenage girl standing in the middle of the room. I was about to ask what was taking so long, but she slowly walked to her closet and grabbed a travel backpack. Then, she reached down to put on a pair of running shoes. I could see tears brimming her eyes, and I realized what was happening.

She wore the same expression I did when I first had to leave my home.

"Hey." I climbed back inside her room and walked towards her. Without thinking, I grabbed her hand gently, and gave her an empathetic smile. "What's your name?"

She stared at me for a short while, then smiled back. "Asuna. Asuna Yuuki." Her voice was like glass. Sharp, but all too fragile.

"Are you ready to go, Asuna?" I asked her softly. She nodded quietly, and we climbed out her window into the outside world.

And thus began our longest journey together.

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 **A/N: Thank you for reading, I hope someone recognized that line from _To Kill a Mockingbird_ at the very end. Please rate/review, and feel free to message me anytime. See you next week! -Harv**


	4. The Beginning of the End

**A/N: Rates and reviews appreciated, enjoy!**

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 _Chapter 4: The Beginning of the End_

We'd been walking down the streets for about an hour now, and our shadows began to disappear as the sun set behind us. While I usually covered this much ground almost everyday, I could sense that Asuna was dragging behind a bit. She hadn't set foot outside since this disaster struck 40 days ago. She looked thin and worn out from a lack of food and exercise. Small beads of sweat were spread across her forehead as she wiped them away with her sleeve.

"Alright, we should be in the clear. Want to take a rest?" I asked, pointing to a bench on the sidewalk. She nodded in exhaustion, and we stopped to catch our breaths.

"How are you not tired?" She questioned, slumping back onto the arm rest and breathing heavily.

"I walk this far pretty much everyday. Maybe a little more if I have the motivation." I sighed, leaning against the back of the bench. I closed my eyes and let my heartbeat slow down while my legs rested.

For a while, both of us just sat there. We didn't say anything nor make eye contact for a few minutes. Eventually, Asuna piped up with a low voice.

"Hey, Kazuto?" We locked eyes, then her gaze drifted towards the empty houses and flickering lights that lined the streets. "How did this happen?"

"H-Huh? You mean how the epidemic started?" I looked at her in confusion. As soon as the first diseased hospital patient had infected someone else, it went viral all over the news. Just a few days later was when I had to leave my home.

"Yeah... I was never able to watch the news on that first day. Plus, all I know about those zombie things is that the infection is spread through biting. Before today, I've only really seen a few of them walking past my house..." Asuna hugged her knees and looked up at the bright orange sky.

"Well, there was a diseased patient in a hospital, and one day he just went rogue and started biting the nurses and other patients. They sent him to a psych ward and didn't think much of it, until all of the bitten victims started acting the same way a few hours later. Eventually, the infected people escaped the hospital, and made it to Tokyo square. I heard a few hundred people were bitten there. Even the police weren't able to stop them." I explained, letting her soak in all of the information I'd blurted out at once. She folded her hands in her lap and looked back down.

"Oh, so that's what happened... It's funny. I thought this kind of stuff only happens in the movies." We both chuckled a bit, before regaining a serious composure.

"So, you didn't see the news at all? I saw that you guys had a lot of TV's in your house." I asked abruptly. She looked down at her hands and fiddled with her fingers for a bit.

"Well... There was no electricity in my house. My parents turned it off the day they left so it wouldn't be charged to their credit card." She gave a sad smile, but I had no idea what she meant by that.

"Wait, your parents left-"

"That was a nice rest, thank you for sharing that information with me." Asuna picked up her backpack off the ground and stood up, looking much less sore. I was slightly concerned with what she'd just said before, but I shrugged and stood up beside her. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit my vision, and I felt myself falling forwards. I was swiftly caught by Asuna, who had scooped her arms under my shoulders before I could hit the ground.

"W-What's wrong!? What's happening?" I could hear the concern in her voice again, and she sat me back down on the bench.

"Sorry... I just feel really dizzy all of a sudden." I muttered, pressing my palm to my forehead. Asuna helped me adjust my position so I was laying down and she knelt beside me.

"Let me check your head wound." She ordered to me. I had no reason to argue, so I shifted the sleeve cloth so she could see the open cut. She opened my backpack to take out the first aid kit from the house, and removed the cloth from my head.

"I think you just got a lightheaded from standing up too quickly." Asuna stated, wrapping a fresh white bandage around my head. I nodded quietly, sighing with relief. I felt somewhat content just laying there having her take care of me. But I knew that we had to keep moving to find a place to sleep. I sat up slowly, leaning on her for support.

"The downtown area is just over this hill. We can probably find an empty restaurant or something to sleep in for the night." Asuna gave a noise of affirmation, and we set off to cover the remaining distance ahead.

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After a short while, we were able to make our way over the hill and into the town square. Broken down cars and deserted shops lined the streets. Broken glass lay on the ground from the shattered windows. All of the clothing, food, and medical supplies were completely emptied out, and even a few dead bodies were inside. I could feel Asuna inching closer towards me at the sight of it. After all, she'd probably never even seen a dead body yet.

Eventually, we found a sandwich café with one shattered window. The tables and chairs were turned upside down, but we could probably make space to sleep on the floor. I climbed in through the broken window, then helped Asuna walk through the shards of broken glass.

"This will do for tonight." I set my bag down on one of the tables, then opened up my backpack to unroll a large blanket. I set the blanket on the floor, then turned towards Asuna. She set her backpack down and removed her jacket to use as a pillow, then sat down on the cold hardwood floor. "Do you have a blanket to use?" I questioned, setting mine down on the ground. She shook her head. I guess I never really gave her much time to gather what she needed from her house.

"Alright, come sleep underneath mine." I gave a little smile, gesturing for her to sit next to me on the floor. I could see a small blush forming along her cheeks, but she eventually gave in. She crawled underneath the blanket and scooted her jacket so it was next to mine.

I'd never had a sleepover before, let alone sleep with a girl beside me. It did feel awkward at first, but as the night progressed, I found myself growing drowsier by the minute. I could see Asuna's eyelids growing heavier too, and she gave a warm smile to me.

"Good night, Kazuto."

I hadn't heard those words in what felt like a decade. Asuna shifted around under the covers until she found a comfortable position, then closed her eyes for the rest of the night.

"Good night... Asuna."

Maybe having someone to travel with wasn't all that bad.

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 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next Saturday! -Harv**


	5. His Past Unraveled

**A/N: I apologize deeply for the lack of chapters these past few weeks. I've had a writer's block and have been very busy with work, but now I'll try to get back to a weekly release schedule. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!**

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 _Chapter 5: His Past Unraveled_

The next morning, we woke up and packed our things just after sunrise. I was never a morning person, but Asuna had seemed to be mesmerized by the vibrant colors above our heads. She referred to the scenery as 'boundless ripples of milky orange and cerulean.' I'd shrugged off her intricate remark earlier, but looking back, I wish I had paid more attention to what she meant.

Today, our main goal was to find a suitable base for storage and shelter. It was currently November 5th, meaning it would probably begin to snow within the next month or so. If we were lucky, we would be able to find a shelter that could serve as protection through heavy snow. But for now, as long as it was well hidden and distant from the city, anything would suffice.

Asuna and I trudged through the woods at a steady pace. I subconsciously checked the watch on my right wrist, only to remember that it had broken many weeks ago. But for some reason, I've held onto it all this time.

As I was reminiscing on the past, Asuna let out a long sigh and came to a halt.

"How long have we been walking? My feet are killing me..." She whined in a pouty voice.

I stopped as well and look over my shoulder. She had taken a seat on a patch of dead grass, sticking her legs out to stretch.

"My watch is broken, so I can't tell. But we still have more ground to cover, so hurry it up already." I blurted out in frustration. I wondered how far I could've been by now if Asuna wasn't there to slow me down. She shot me a bitter frown and got up to her feet, brushing off her jeans.

"You know, you could at least _act_ like I'm a real person." She shrugged, slinging her backpack over her shoulder again. I rolled my eyes and we continued forward.

After another few miles or so, we finally stumbled upon an abandoned cabin. It was smaller than my old base, but at least that would make it more well-hidden. The inside only consisted of a rundown kitchen and two small bedrooms. Asuna plopped down in one of the bedrooms while I inspected the kitchen. I took the miniature cooking pot out of my backpack and reached in to grab a can of food...

...only to realize that I had none, because I had forgotten to grab my stuff after Asuna searched through my bag at her house. We had made a deal to separate her food from mine, but I never took mine back.

I felt somewhat bad asking Asuna for food considering how I'd treated her earlier, but I didn't feel like starving now. I headed into her room to find her sitting criss-cross on the small bed.

"Hey, uh... would you happen to have any canned food on you?" I asked sheepishly, standing at the doorway. She reached over the side of the bed to grab her backpack, pulling out a can of mushroom soup.

"You mean something like this?" She grinned mischievously, waving it for me to see.

"Yeah, that should last us for a couple of days. Thanks." I walked towards her to grab the can, but she quickly moved it behind her back.

"Not so fast." She teased, raising one eyebrow. "You owe me an apology for earlier. Otherwise, no soup for you." I rolled my eyes yet again. She would have to give it to me eventually or we'd both starve, but I knew she'd be extra stubborn until then.

"F-Fine..." I stared down at the floor, then back at her irritating smirk. "I'm sorry. Now can I have the can?"

She gave a light chuckle and tossed it to me then lied back on the pillows. l I caught it with ease, only to realize that it had no label or cooking instructions.

"Erm... would you perhaps be able to cook it...?" I gave an innocent smile and held out the can. This time, she was the one to roll her eyes, getting out of bed and stretching her arms above her head. She hesitated for a moment, then placed one hand on her hip.

"Alright, I can make it for us. On one condition." She smiled with a gleaming curiosity in her eyes.

"And what would that be?"

"I want you to teach me how to shoot a gun." She pointed to my backpack, remembering the pistol that she'd inspected earlier.

"A-A gun?" I stammered, not expecting her to want to kill anything anytime soon.

"You know, for emergencies. In case we run into more of those... things." She frowned. I realized that it would be better to teach her than not to, especially if one of us were in a tight situation. My stomach let out a low growl, and I had no choice but to comply.

"Well, okay then. But after we eat." I handed her the can and she strolled off into the kitchen eagerly. I chuckled and loaded up the pistol for our training soon.

After a short while, she emerged from the kitchen with two small bowls of hearty mushroom soup. I devoured mine greedily, while she took her time to blow on every spoonful. For a store-bought can of food, she had managed to make it taste exquisite. Once we were finished, I set my bowl on the counter and let out a content sigh.

"I have to say, you're quite the cook." I admitted, licking the extra sauce off of the corners of my lips. Asuna set down her bowl as well, standing up out of her seat.

"Thanks, but it's time to hold up your end of the deal." She smiled, gesturing me to come outside. I followed her out of the house and into a clearing, making sure there were no infected in sight. I pulled out the pistol and loaded it with bullets, then handed it to her. She inspected it with awe and aimed at a tree in front of her.

"Alright, keep your hands like this." I held out my hands as if I were holding an invisible gun, demonstrating the most efficient technique to her. She clumsily copied my posture, constantly fixing her little mistakes in placement. "No no no, like this." I took her left hand adjusted it slightly to place it over her right. Compared to my rough and durable skin, hers seemed to be velvety and smooth. I awkwardly fiddled with her fingers to place them in the correct positions, then let go abruptly.

"Whenever you're ready." I gestured, standing clear of her firing zone. She stared icy daggers into the tree bark, pulling the trigger. As the blast rang throughout the forest bouncing off of the trees, she fell back onto her rear with a thud. "S-Sorry... probably should've mentioned the recoil part." I rubbed the back of my head and helped her to her feet. She crossed her arms and shot a glare at me, then walked over to the tree.

"Where's the bullet hole?" She inspected the bark carefully, but couldn't find where the shot had landed. I walked up next to her and searched as well, only to find undamaged wood.

"Ah... looks like you missed the tree." Asuna frowned in defeat. "But don't worry. I missed a lot when I first shot a gun. I'm sure you'll perfect it soon enough." I patted her on the head and took the gun out of her hand. Even though she couldn't shoot now, it might be useful to have another person around if I were to get into a fight.

As I reloaded the gun with bullets, Asuna glanced at my hand, then further up at my watch. "Hey." She poked my hand, catching my attention. "If that watch is broken, then why do you keep it? Doesn't it weigh your shooting arm down?" She questioned with curiosity.

"That's because..." I started, not realizing that I was about to give my honest answer. I quickly changed my train of thought, making up an excuse. "Because I learned how to shoot with it on, and it throws me off if my arm is too light." I twiddled with my thumbs, hoping she would buy it. For a while, she just stared at me in wonder, then eventually let out a sigh.

"Ah, I get it now. Ready to head back inside?" Asuna smiled, waving for me to follow her. I nodded awkwardly and went inside with her.

* * *

That night, I wriggled underneath the blankets, unable to sleep. A cool breeze brushed over my shoulders, making me shiver slightly. Sighing in defeat, I got up and headed into Asuna's room to see if she had any extra blankets lying around.

Instead, I saw her sitting on the side of the bed wrapped in a comforter. She stared out the window with a gloomy expression. I walked quietly and sat down beside her.

"Something wrong?" I asked, a hint of concern in my voice. She replied without turning her head towards me, focusing her gaze on the gleaming moon outside.

"I guess... I just can't believe all of this is happening so suddenly. I was planning on holing up in my room until I ran out of food." Both of us let out a light chuckle, then went silent again.

"Yeah, I get that." I replied solemnly, giving an empathetic smile. She lifted her head up to face me. Amber eyes met onyx for what seemed like several minutes, before she finally spoke.

"How did you start out in all of this?" Did those things try to get into your house too?" She questioned in wonder. A waterfall of memories came back to me, remembering the first night when I'd left my house.

"Well yeah, they did try... and they succeeded." My smile disappeared, and her expression saddened. I rubbed the back of my head and continued. "They cornered my Aunt and my cousin in the living room. They told me to run, so I did." I felt my face growing hotter, tears forming at the corners of my eyes. I could tell that Asuna probably felt the same way. "I never even thanked them before I left. For everything they'd done for me. Sometimes I think that they resent me from up above."

"That's not true." Asuna inched closer to me, wrapping part of the blanket around my shoulders. "I'm sure they hope you'll get through this, and that you won't be mad at yourself for running." She smiled and we locked gazes once again.

"I doubt that, but thanks for the support." I smiled back, relaxing my thoughts. I stood up and took the blanket off, wrapping it around her again. "Well, I should get back to sleep. Goodnight, Asuna." I said, heading towards the door.

"Goodnight Kazuto." A soft, gentle voice replied. "And thank you."

"For what?" I asked, not knowing what she meant. After all, she was the one who'd just comforted me.

"For everything. I know that I can be a pain sometimes, but I do appreciate you teaching me how to live this way." She grinned warmly, enough to thaw the coldest of hearts.

"O-Of course." I replied sheepishly, closing the door on the way out with a _click._

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading, and stick around for another chapter within the next couple of weeks. -Harv**


	6. The Lonely Route

**A/N: I'm back! From now on I should be able to release chapters on a weekly schedule again. Enjoy :)**

* * *

 _Chapter 6: The Lonely Route_

"What about this?" Asuna asked, holding a box of rifle bullets towards me. I shook my head without facing her, continuing to rummage through clothes in the closet.

"No, those aren't compatible with the gun I have now. We need _pistol_ bullets; everything else is useless." I said sternly. I heard her let out a sigh, and she went back into the other room to look for more supplies.

It was currently around noon. We'd spent all day walking in a straight line from our base to find any other abandoned towns. My initial plan was to find a suitable town and teach Asuna the basics of raiding, but only the former seemed to work out as I intended.

I peeked over my shoulder into the other room to see Asuna emptying several drawers into a pile on the floor. There was another pile to her left filled with money, batteries, and random articles of clothing. Tired of searching through the closet, I headed into the other room and loomed over her.

"What's this pile for?" I pointed, somewhat sure that I already knew the answer.

"Valuables, stuff we can use." She stared up at me. I folded my arms, confirming my suspicions.

"Asuna," I kneeled down and inspected the books she had sorted out. "You really don't need these. Money doesn't have much value anymore, and we don't own anything that takes batteries. And do you really, _really_ need more clothes?" I took a grey sweatshirt from the pile and held it out for her to see. She pouted, crossing her arms.

"Why should you care? It's not like you have to carry this stuff, I can do it." She blurted out.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes. "But when you can't outrun something because your bag is too heavy, don't expect me to come and save you."

That was certainly a lie. Of course I would help her if that happened. She just needed to realize that it was possible to gain something out of losing something.

"Look." She stood up to look me straight in the eye with a ice cold glare. "Just because you've been playing this little game longer than I have doesn't mean that you can boss me around. I could manage just fine on my own, if not better." I clenched my fists in frustration.

"I'm not trying to boss you around, idiot!" I shouted, my voice bouncing off the walls of the large room. "I'm teaching you how to survive! How t-"

I cut myself off, noticing the startled look on Asuna's face.

"How to not make decisions you'll regret later on." I finished in a lowered voice. She remained in a stiff position, soaking in all of the words I'd just hollered at her. I exhaled, turning around and walking towards the door. "If you really think you'll be better off on your own, then I'll go now. We won't have to worry about each other anymore." I spoke solemnly, choosing not to look her in the eyes. "But if you do want to stick together, I'll be waiting at the house."

After a few moments of silence, I walked out of the room without looking back.

* * *

 _What am I doing?_ I thought to myself, internal conflicts running wild across my mind. I was nearly back at our base, and there were still no sounds of footsteps behind me.

 _Did we really just separate?_

I'd only known this girl for a couple of days. I barely knew anything about her. I didn't even know how old she was. So why...

 _Why am I waiting for her to follow me?_

I turned around. Through the trees and mounds of grass, I saw no signs of a slender, teenage girl coming this way. My eyebrows furrowed unconsciously, and I continued walking.

I had to admit, the past two days that I'd spent with her had subdued a feeling of loneliness within me. It was nice to have someone to talk to, even if it was just arguing. The previous night had been the first time I'd spilled out any of my thoughts since this nightmare began. _But come to think of it, she hasn't told me much about herself._ I reflected back upon the time we sat down on a bench outside of Setagaya not long ago. I'd felt a wave of relief wash over me when I realized that I was not alone in this.

But now I was, once again.

As I approached the shelter, I walked gloomily up the porch steps leaving the door open. My feet automatically pulled me into the bedroom where I'd talked with Asuna the night before. Folded blankets sat atop neatly made bedsheets, as if nobody had ever touched the room in the first place.

I ran one hand through my tangled, scraggily hair, then exited the room. I headed back towards the porch and stood at the doorway for a few moments, soaking everything in.

 _I'll be fine. I've gone through this alone before, and I can do it again._ I exhaled slowly, releasing all of the pent up anxieties into the brisk atmosphere.

Suddenly, I was knocked forward by a powerful force from behind.

I flew over the steps of the porch, landed straight onto the dirt ground of the forest. I flinched as my bandaged forehead made contact with the rocks underneath me. Panicking, I attempted to turn over on my back to face the assailant, but I was quickly jumped on and pinned down by strong arms. The bare hands on my wrists felt rough and leathery. I quickly ruled out any remaining hopes of this being Asuna. This definitely wasn't an infected person either, otherwise I would've heard some sort of hissing from behind me.

This attacker was probably a solo raider, just like me.

I didn't have the ability to turn on my back, but I was able to twist my head around slightly. He wore a black hoodie with a ski mask on, making me unable to identify this person. But more importantly, a large, green combat knife was held in his teeth while his hands were occupied with my wrists. This was my opportunity to escape his vice grip.

In one swift movement, I used my legs to kick back launching my foot straight into his left knee cap. The leg wobbled and sank to the ground with ease, lightening the amount of weight that was on my right wrist. I slid my hand out quickly and used it to pull my other hand out of his grasp. Both the intruder and I were now on the ground, no more than a few feet away from each other. We stared at each other for what seemed like half a second, until he charged back at me.

I was definitely more fit and brawny than I'd been 42 days ago, but it was no match for this raider. Once again, he pinned me down with ease, but this time on my back. In a heavy motion, he pulled one arm back and balled up his fingers into a fist. I braced for impact and curled up my face. His fist swung across my left cheek, sending shockwaves of pain throughout my head. He pulled his arm back once again, sending yet another blow into my face.

I was growing dizzier by the second. My forehead injury added onto the rush of pain I felt, rendering my whole body powerless. Another strong jab was sent to the same spot. I was certain my face was bleeding by now.

 _So, this is how it ends, huh?_ I closed my eyes, surrendering to the throbbing of my brain.

Before I could quite lose consciousness, I heard a loud thud above me. All of a sudden, the weight that had been pinning down my body was gone. I opened my undamaged right eye slightly, squinting at the sunlight directly above my head. My body laid motionless on the ground, unable to move without feeling a wave of dizziness. I tilted my head slowly towards the left, searching for what had caused that loud thud. A small, black object sat on the ground next to me.

"...A battery?" I mumbled incoherently.

In the moments that followed, all I could hear were the faded yells of a feminine voice, before my mind finally gave out.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading, and sorry for the cliffhanger :) See you next week! -Harv**


	7. Familiar Anguish

**A/N: Welcome back! As mentioned in my other story** ** _Living For You,_** **I won't be writing for the next week because I'll be on vacation. However, I will be answering any Asks on my Tumblr (Harvzy) while I'm gone. So if you have any questions about writing, my fics, or about me in general, feel free to leave an ask. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Chapter 7: Familiar Anguish_

A dull pain shot across my forehead, causing my senses to sharpen.

I slowly opened my eyes; the vision in one eye was blurrier than the other. I reached up to touch it, feeling the swollen skin around the edges and wincing at the pain. After a few moments, I shakily sat upright, a slight ache throbbing in my head.

As my eyes adjusted to the light, I soaked in my familiar surroundings. I laid in the bed I'd slept in the previous night, the room dimly illuminated by orange sunlight pouring through the window.

However, unlike the night before, I noticed a certain chestnut-haired girl standing at the far end of the room. Beside her, I could faintly make out the shape of a person in a chair.

Noticing my movement, Asuna walked over and sat down beside me on the bed.

"How long was I out?" I questioned immediately.

"Only a few hours. Jeez, don't scare me like that." She reached towards the wooden night stand to hand me a bottle of water. I let out a quiet chuckle and gratefully accepted the drink. The refreshing water streaming down my throat seemed to ease the discomfort of my headache.

I looked behind her to see a young man in a blindfold, his hands tied behind an old wooden chair. He appeared to be waking up gradually; his head bobbed up and down lightly. "This is the guy?" I asked Asuna. She nodded in response.

"Yeah... I saw him attacking you, so my first instinct was to throw this at his head." She held up the small black battery that had saved me earlier. Her voice seemed fragile, but contained hints of pride and relief at the same time.

It came in handy after all. I let out a sigh and glanced back at the young boy.

He had somewhat spiky, orange hair, messy and tangled from our brawl earlier. It seemed oddly familiar.

"Wait a second..." I slowly trudged out of bed and moved towards his chair. Fully awake, the boy began to struggle and panic, unaware of his surroundings. I pulled off his blindfold to confirm my suspicions. Our eyes met, and he broke out into a nervous sweat.

"H-Hey, Kazuto!" He stuttered quickly, plastering on a shaky smile.

I could never forget the face of this boy. He'd constantly picked on me at school for the past 5 years or so, along with his popular group of friends.

"...Hiro." I stared daggers into his eyes without smiling.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Asuna piped up from behind us, standing up from the bed.

"Yeah! W-We're old pals, right Kazu?" A panicking face looked up at me. I rolled my eyes and turned towards Asuna.

"I wouldn't say pals... but we do know each other." I frowned slightly. Asuna sighed and walked over to stand next to me. She placed one hand on the back of Hiro's chair and stared at him intensely, a fire seemingly ignited in her minacious glare.

"Why did you come here?" Her voice was at room level, but still seemed to shake Hiro to his core. Even I felt somewhat intimated, remembering when she'd used a similar voice against me.

"I heard a gunshot yesterday, so I came to see if there was any extra food here!" He blurted out. I couldn't lash out on him quite yet, since I probably would've done the same.

"Okay, so why did you attack Kazuto?" Asuna furrowed her eyebrows even more, placing one hand on her hip.

"I didn't recognize him until now... I was so intent on killing him earlier, that I didn't even bother to look at his face..." A twinge of doubt arose in my mind, but Asuna seemed to be buying it. "If you let me live, I can show you where my base is. It's a little far... but you can take whatever food you want from there!"

Asuna turned around to face me, uncertainty looming in her gaze. "What do you think?" She questioned.

I didn't want to see this boy ever again. I wasn't even sure we could trust him. But if we didn't find more food soon, then we could starve half way through winter.

"...I'd rather trust and regret, than doubt and regret." I muttered quietly. Hiro exhaled sharply in relief, then Asuna moved to untie his hands. He rubbed his rope-burnt wrists and stood up, stretching his legs.

"Hoo... I must say girly, you sure can throw." He chuckled, reaching out a hand. "The name's Hiro Fujimura. I went to school with Kazu here." Asuna hesitantly shook his hand back.

"I'm Asuna... nice to meet you." She responded politely, contrary to her tone earlier.

"Alright, let's get going!" Hiro exclaimed, marching out of the room. We gathered up our supplies and followed him outside into the brisk weather.

* * *

As the sun made its way down on the horizon, Asuna marveled at the vibrant colors of the sky once again. I took a closer look at the scenery this time. I'd never quite noticed how beautifully the shades of purple and orange mixed together at sunset.

While I was looking upwards, I never noticed that Hiro had stopped walking. I abruptly bumped into him from behind, stumbling onto the ground.

"Oh, sorry Kazu!" He turned around and looked down at me, reaching a hand out for me to grab. His actions shocked me a bit. I was used to being pushed down by him, not being helped up. I sheepishly took his hand, feeling like a feather as his athletic build pulled me to my feet.

"T-Thanks." I said, rubbing the back of my head. I heard Asuna snickering quietly behind me.

"Let's get some rest in there." Hiro pointed to the gas station next to us. "We can keep walking in the morning."

As I was about to follow Asuna inside, I felt a hand tap my shoulder. I turned around to see Hiro gesturing for me to stay behind. I was hesitant at first, but knew that he was unarmed and couldn't hurt me without Asuna noticing.

"Asuna... can you search for any supplies in there? We're gonna make sure there's no infected around." She turned around and nodded happily, heading inside the building. I followed Hiro outside towards a restroom building nearby.

"What do you want?" I blurted out, dropping the friendly facade I'd been putting on since meeting him. He sighed, and rubbed his arm.

"Look, I know you hate me. I just want to apologize for... everything. I know it was wrong. My friends pressured me into doing all that stuff to you. It's definitely not an excuse, but..." He stared at the ground, seemingly feeling guilty. "I'm sorry. Think we can put that behind us for now?" He glanced up at me with an apologetic look. I sighed and crossed my arms.

"I don't care for your apologies, I care about keeping Asuna and myself safe. So don't even think about trying anything funny."

"Yeah, yeah." He shrugged. "Cold as ever."

That night, the three of us slept on the floor of the gas station building. All Asuna was able to find were some leftover candy bars underneath the counter.

I turned over under my blanket, rubbing my arms from the cool breeze. I peeked over my shoulder to see Hiro, sound asleep tucked in a sleeping bag. I turned to my other side to look at Asuna, only to find an empty spot on the floor. Stretching my arms, I got out from under my blanket without waking Hiro and left to search for her.

I quietly walked outside, feeling a gust of cold air brush against my skin. I fixed my long sleeve shirt and sweatpants, wrinkled from lying down.

Just ahead of me was Asuna, sitting down on the sidewalk in front of the building. Her eyes were fixated on the starry sky above us before turning to face me.

"Hey there." I smiled, taking a seat next to her. She grinned back and shifted to hug her knees.

"Hey yourself." She replied, followed by a light giggle. "How's your head?"

"Still sore, but I'll manage." For the next few moments, all that followed was silence. We stared up at the sky in unison, admiring the infinite stretch of twinkling lights. After some time, I tilted my head to look Asuna in the eyes.

"Thank you."

"What for?" She asked, a sense of wonder in her hazelnut gaze.

"For coming back." I hugged my knees as well, shielding my face from the cool breeze.

"Silly." She inched closer towards me. "You know I could never do this alone."

Suddenly, Asuna plopped her head down on my right shoulder. I felt her soft hair brush my neck, sending a warm sensation through my mind. After a few minutes, my back began to stiffen less and less. Eventually, I decided to rest my head on hers as she sought refuge in the crook of my neck.

"Ready to head inside?" She asked, sitting up straight. I nodded in disappointment, feeling chills return to my body. We walked back into the building together, prepared for whatever would follow the next day.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Once again, I won't be releasing another chapter next week, but I will be answering Asks via Tumblr (Harvzy) for all of this week. See you next time! -Harv**


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